Afrika
A feminine name derived from the name of the continent Africa.
Name Census estimates that about 223 living Americans carry the first name Afrika. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Afrika today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Afrika births was 1974 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Afrika. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
223
~ 1 in 1,537,015 Americans
Peak year
1974
20 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2005 SSA rank
#14,541
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Afrika: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Afrika from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 110 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Afrika by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Afrika during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Afrikas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Afrika
The name Afrika is derived from the ancient Latin word "Africa," which was used to refer to the continent of Africa. The name is believed to have originated from the Romans, who borrowed the term from the Phoenicians, an ancient civilization that inhabited the coastal regions of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Phoenicians referred to the region as "Af-ri-qah," which means "the land of the fruit-bearing trees." This name was likely inspired by the abundance of fruit trees and vegetation found in the northern regions of the African continent. The Phoenicians were known for their maritime trade and exploration, and they had established settlements along the coast of present-day Tunisia and Libya.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Afrika can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. In his work "The Histories," Herodotus mentioned the name "Africa" when describing the region inhabited by the Garamantes, an ancient Berber people who lived in present-day Libya.
Throughout history, the name Afrika has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest known figures with this name was Afrika, a Roman slave who lived in the 1st century AD. She is mentioned in the writings of the Roman poet Martial, who praised her beauty and intelligence.
In the 3rd century AD, there was a Christian martyr named Afrika, who was executed during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Decius. She is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, and her feast day is celebrated on December 26th.
Another notable figure with the name Afrika was a 6th-century Byzantine scholar and philosopher. She was known for her expertise in the works of Plato and Aristotle, and she is believed to have taught at the University of Constantinople (now Istanbul).
In the 19th century, Afrika Bambaataa, an American DJ and musician, was a prominent figure in the early days of hip-hop culture. Born in 1957, he is often credited as one of the founding fathers of hip-hop, and his influential music group, the Zulu Nation, played a significant role in shaping the genre.
In more recent times, Afrika Mhlophe, a South African actress and author born in 1966, has gained recognition for her work in promoting women's rights and addressing social issues through her writing and performances.
It's worth noting that while the name Afrika is not as common as some other names, it has a rich historical significance and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures throughout the ages.
People
Afrika + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Afrika as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Afrika: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Afrika?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 223 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Afrika going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,537,015 US residents.
Is Afrika a common name?
We classify Afrika as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 239 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Afrika most popular?
The single biggest year for Afrika was 1974, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Afrika is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Afrika a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Afrika in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.